Toy theater oe punch and judy show



(No Model.) 2 S11eetsSheet 1.

N. R. MARSHMAN.

TOY THEATER OR PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW.

No. 256,909. Patented Apr. 25, 1882*,

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N. R. MARSHMAN. TOY THEATER 0R PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW.

Patented Apr. 25, 1882 Fig Q.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N EW MAN It. MARSHMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY THEATER OR PUNCH-AND-JUDY SHOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 256,909, dated April 25, 1882-,

' Application filed January 11, 1882. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWMAN R. MARSHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Theaters or Punch-and-Judy Shows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of me chanical toys in which figures are made to move on a stage or platform.

The novel features of the invention pertain to certain mechanical devices by which transformations are effected and the figures made to move, appear, and disappear automatically by the rotation of a crank or shaft, the object being to impart to the figures a life-like appearance by means that are simple and not liable to disarrangement.

Before describing my invention I wish to say that I do not limitinyself to any particular scenic representation, nor to any particular number of figures or transformation efl'ects. For convenience I have shown only enough of such'efiects and figures to illustrate myinvention and a stage of very limited dimensions. My object is to illustrate most particularly the mechanical constructions.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the figures and their actuating mechanism divested of the surrounding casin g. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a stage on which the figures move. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a small detached plauview, which will he explained hereinafter. Fig. 4. is a sectional elevation on line 4 4 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on line 5 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on line 6 6 in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 isa sectional Fig. 8 is a modification, which will he referred to hereinafter. Figs. 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are drawn to a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2. In all the sectional elevations the view is taken from the right in Fig. 1, looking toward the left;

Let A represent in general the housing around the stage, and B the floor or stage proper. G is a 'roller, which may be turned from wood. This roller has raised flanges a b c (I and a broader flange or drum, e, to serve as a driver for an endless belt or apron, D. The roller has also journals g g, whereon it is rotatively mounted in the housing A, and one of these journals projects and bears an operating-crank, g.

The figures E and F are made to move in the same way and by the same kind of mechanism; but not necessarily to be actuated simultaneously, so it will only be necessary to describe the mechanism for actuating one, as Fl. By referring to Figs. 1 and 3 it will be seen that this figure is mounted on a. block, h, which is pivoted in the stage-floor B just behind a door-opening in the scene A. A portion of the block it is arranged to rest on and be supported by the flange a on the roller C;

but a portion of this flange is cut away, as at t, and as the roller 0 is turned (see arrow in Fig. 3) the block drops into the recess t and permits the figure E to fall prone on its face and out of sight, as in the full lines in Fig. 3. As the rotation continues the margin of the recesst' catches on the block h and again throws the figure up, giving it the appearance of suddenly appearing and disappearing at the door in the scene. The figure F operates in the same way, except that one figure is made, or may be made, to appear as the other disappears, as itdodging each other. E is designed to represent a policeman, and F to represent Punch. The heads of the figures E'andF are fixed on stems which pass down through the bodies and out below, and on the lower ends of these are fixed star-wheels c, as shown dc.- tached in Fig. 3. When the roller 0 is re volved the points on these wheels catch against pins 1) in the roller and turn the heads of the figures.

If it he desired to cause the head to turn from side to side, the pins 1) are arranged in two rows in alternate order, as shown in Fig. 1; but if it be desired to turn the head entirely around the pins must be arranged uniformly in one row, so as to engage but one side of the wheel a.

The figures are shown as arranged to fall forward on their faces through an opening in the stage-floor; but by reversing the rotation of the roll 0 they may be made to fall back.

Lin

The endless beltD passes over'a-n idler-pulley, e, arranged near the front or footlights of the stage, and on this are pivotally mounted any number of figures, G, H, and I. The figures are weighted below, as at j, and are pivoted in uprights k, secured to the belt D. The figures move along in a natural manner toward the front of the stage (the uprights k and weights j being practically out of sight) and pass down through the stage at the front, feet foremost, as shown in Fig. 5. A number of figures may be made to follow each other in this way, as in a procession coming through a door, I, in the scene A, hung to close elastically, so as to be opened by the pressure of the figure against it.

The figures G, H, and I represent respectively a policeman, Punch, and Judy.

J is a head mounted on the free end of a lever, m, one end of which is pivoted at the back part of the stage behind the scenes. The end of the lever bearing the head J rests on a cam formed out of the flange c. When. the roller G turns, the cam c raises the head J slowly through a hole or trap in the stage-floor, and then allows it to drop suddenly. The head is fixed on a stem, a, Fig. l, which is pivoted at its middle to the lever m or to a block thereon, and the lower free end of the stem is acted upon, when the head is raised, by pins or projections 0 on the side of the cam, which causes the head to move slightly from side to side. The object of this is to impart a slight movementtogivea life-like appearance to the figure. In Figs. 1 and 7 is illustrated the mechanism employed for raising the curtain K at the front of the stage. This curtain is arranged to roll up on a properly-mounted roller, 1), and may be weighted at its lower edge, so as to unroll of itself.

On the end of the roller is wound a cord, g, which passes back over an idler-pulley, r, and thence to the long arm of a lever, s, pivoted just over the roller 0. In the flange d on said roller is formed a recess, t, the margin of which, when the roller is turned, catches against the short arm .9 of the lever and throws the lever down, thus unwinding the cord (1 and rolling up the curtain. The curtain remains rolled up until the short arm s again drops into the recess t, as will be well understood. Fig. 7 shows the curtain being wound up.

In Figs. 1 and 4 I have shown a device for exhibiting alegend to indicate what the figures on the stage are supposed to be saying. This consists simply of an endless belt, u, on which the legends are inscribed or printed, arranged to pass over a portion, f, of the roller 0 and to be driven thereby. The belt passes forward and over rollers or rods 2; o in such a manner as to display the legends successively at an opening, to, at the front and below the stage by preference.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the legend"Now lve got you, which is supposed to be spoken by policeman E. The length of belt, &c., must of course be arranged to exhibit the legends at the proper time; but this may be arranged by any one.

In lieu of displaying a legend in front for the benefit of the audience, it may be displayed at the back to prompt or guide the exhibitor, who may wish to speak the legendsaloud from behind the stage.

In Fig. 8 I have shown mechanism for causing a figure-say Eto nod instead of turn the head sidewise. This is accomplished by hinging the head to the body in front, as at m, and extending a rod or tracker-pin up through the body to take under the back part of the head. The lower end of this rod rests on and is supported by a leaf-spring or hinged plate, y. As the rollerG revolves, pins 1) on the roller take under said plate 3 successively and lift and drop it and the tracker-pin, thus giving the head a nodding motion. This mechanism may be substituted for that shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a toy, the combination, with a revolving roller having a recess and shoulder, of a figure pivoted over said roller on a bloekand arranged to be thrown up to an erect position by the engagement of the shoulder with said block, sustantially as set forth.

2. In a toy, the combination, with a roller provided with a recessed flange, a, and pins 1), of a figure, E, mounted on a block, it, pivoted over the roller, the head of the figure being arranged to be moved independently by means of a stem acted upon by the pins I) in the roller as the latter turns, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a toy, of a roller, an endless band or apron, an idler-pulley for the band to pass over, and a figure or figures pivotally mounted on said band and weighted at the bottom to maintain them in an erect position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a toy, the combination, with a figure arranged to be thrownup to an erect position by means of a shoulder on a roller, and the said shouldered roller provided with projecting pins, of a star-wheel, a, fixed on thelower end of the stem which bears the head of the figure, substantially as set forth.

5. In a toy theater wherein figures appear and move on the stage, the combination, with the roller which actuates the figures, of a belt or apron bearing legends or inscriptions, the said roller and apron being arranged to exhibit said inscriptions at the proper times in order to illustrate the acts or purposes of the figures on the stage, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a toy, of an actuatin groller, 0, provided with a cam, c, a head, J, a stem,n, alever, m, on which the head is pivoted, andprojections 0 on the sides of the cam c, said projections being arranged to impingeagainst to actuate the lever s and raise the curtain, to the stem at as the cam rotates and raises the substantially as set forth. head into View, substantially as set forth. a In Witness. whereof I have hereunto signed 7. In a toy theater wherein a stage is emmy name in the presence of two subscribing 5ployed, the combination, with an actuatingwitnesses.

roller, (3, for imparting movements to the act- NEWMAN R. MARSH MAN. ors or figures, of a curtain, K, curtain-roller p, Witnesses:

cord q, lever s,-provided with a short arm, s, HENRY OONNETT,

and a notched flan ge, (I, on the roller 0, arranged ARTHUR G. FRASER. 

